Grow seedlings

Growing native seedlings is a practical and rewarding way to help South Australia’s environment. 

Our team of Tree Scheme growers raise almost half a million seedlings in their backyards each year. These plants create homes and food for wildlife and help build healthier and more productive farms. Everyone benefits!

Our volunteer growers raise native seedlings over summer and get them ready for planting by landholders and community revegetation projects in winter. Our qualified staff provide advice and support to growers throughout the growing period to ensure that the healthiest, most robust seedlings are produced.

How do you get started?

First, register your interest in the Tree Scheme to become a volunteer grower.  The growing season starts in November and ends around May the following year:

  • July-August Submit your grower registration form
  • October-November Attend a free propagation workshop (optional)
  • November Collect growing materials from your nearest depot
  • November-May Propagate, water and care for your seedlings
  • May-June Handover your seedlings
     

What do you need?

First, we ask all volunteers to consider their availability. While the process is straightforward, you’ll need time to set up your backyard, fill up the tubes with soil, plant the seeds and then care for them every day during the growing season (November-May). Your backyard will also need a place with direct sunlight for most of the day, a sturdy waist-high growing bench, shadecloth and good water supply. 

Our volunteers find the growing process easy and very rewarding. If you can successfully grow vegetable seedlings you should be able to grow native seedlings! For more information on what is involved and setting up your backyard to grow the healthiest seedlings, download our volunteer grower brochure.


Growers’ seedling materials

We provide all the supplies, training and support you need to grow healthy native seedlings. Your volunteer grower seedling materials include:

  • Soil, tubes, fertiliser, gravel mulch and native seeds
  • The Growers’ Handbook with step-by-step instructions
  • Access to free propagation workshops
  • Instructions on who you are growing for and which species


Access our skills and knowledge

Since our inception in 1981, the Tree Scheme has built an amazing base of resources on growing native seedlings.

For registered volunteers, our free workshops run from October to November and will take you through the growing process step-by-step. View workshop dates here.
 
 

Contact us or call 08 8406 0500 to get involved